Mistake: getting in early on a pre-product-market-fit SaaS

Mistake: getting in early on a pre-product-market-fit SaaS
Everyone wants the "ground floor" program with the generous early rate. Early-stage SaaS has the highest churn, the most pricing chaos, and the worst odds of still paying you in 18 months. You're building on sand for a slightly bigger cut.

The failure modes:
— They pivot, and the audience you built for evaporates.
— They run out of money, and your recurring becomes uncollectible.
— They "simplify" the program and your rate vanishes.

Fix: weight your portfolio toward tools with 3+ years of operation, stable pricing, and visible retention. Treat early-stage programs as small, capped experiments — never as a pillar. The generous early rate is hazard pay; size the position accordingly.

Verdict: ground floor is also where the building falls on you.